IPAs are one of my favorite styles (although picking a favorite style is very difficult... I just like them all!), and I think it's a good style for getting into craft beer. Others can argue that the flavors in IPAs are too bold as a beginner style... but why not go all out?!
India Pale Ales, or IPAs, originated as an English style of beer. As the British were sending goods and supplies to India, it became necessary to figure out a way to ship beer across the ocean so that it didn't spoil by the time it arrived in its destination. There are a few natural preservatives in beer that the British accentuated: they increased the amount of alcohol (alcohol being the waste product of fermentation is essentially toxic to yeast and many other contaminants) and increased the amount of hops (again, hops are a natural preservative in beer). The result then became a strong, hoppy ale which would last the journey.
The style certainly still exists today in England, but it has evolved quite a bit in the United States. As many things in America, hops have become more pungent and bolder than their European counterparts. We have different "citrus-y" varieties which impart a fresh and fruity aroma and flavor (as opposed to the English and European spicy and earthy flavors), the Alpha Acid Percentage (that is, the property of the hop which lends itself to bitterness) in American hops are higher resulting in a more bitter final product. The last different might be obvious to some, but nonetheless is very important; the English use English yeast, and Americans use American yeast. English yeasts are beautiful such that they impart all these great fruity esters, and American yeasts tend to be very VERY clean. American IPAs are more straightforward with their construction (playing with malts and hops) but must be artfully designed to provide balance amongst the factors.
So... Increased alcohol (malt), hoppy late additions, not too sweet, clean yeast fermentation... you can now see how there are SO many variables! And you can also see how every brewer and brew pub can make an IPA and each can come out completely different.
Let's look at my recipe and discuss the major factors in designing a decent and balanced IPA:
Batch of the Moment
OG: 1.067
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 59
15 lbs American 2-Row
4 oz Crystal 60
4 oz Crystal 40
1 ½ oz Columbus Hops - 60 min
1 oz Amarillo Hops - 10 min
½ oz Amarillo Hops - 2 min
½ oz Columbus Hops - Flameout
½ oz Amarillo Hops - Dry Hop
House yeast (Pacman)
OG: 1.067
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 59
15 lbs American 2-Row
4 oz Crystal 60
4 oz Crystal 40
1 ½ oz Columbus Hops - 60 min
1 oz Amarillo Hops - 10 min
½ oz Amarillo Hops - 2 min
½ oz Columbus Hops - Flameout
½ oz Amarillo Hops - Dry Hop
House yeast (Pacman)
The biggest factor is the balance of gravity (and perceived sweetness post-fermentation) and bitterness. I recommend a ration of 1:1... this has worked for me in the past. The ratio might be a little balanced towards the bitter end of the spectrum, but we have to keep in mind that some will fall out as the beer ages. In this particular case, the balance is a little less on the bitter spectrum, but the attenuation given is at 75%; I often get better attenuation with Pacman, so the ratio will get closer to 1:1.
It doesn't really matter which bittering hops you use, as long as they are high Alpha Acid. The less Alpha Acid percentage your hops are, the more you have to use, resulting in more ounces of hops you'll have to boil, which results in more sludge at the bottom of your kettle afterwards! For flavor and aroma, I like Amarillo, but it's in short supply these days. Cascade or any other American hop will be fine. Find something you like and go with it!
As for yeast, I have had great success with Pacman... I keep a house culture around until I've fermented all I can out of a single pitch. When Wyeast releases it again, I'll start my culture over. I believe Dogfish Head uses Ringwood, which is actually a British strain (but they've always been a little off-centered... in a GOOD way!!). There's always the Chico strain (WLP001, WY1056, or US-05) which is also very clean... think Sierra Nevada. I like the yeast, but with the wrong hop combination, the flavor turns astringent. Just my two cents ;)
Ok, my formula... feel free to copy, add, subtract... WHATEVER -
Start with the strength you want your beer... in this case we were looking between 6.5-7% ABV. In this case it's about 15 lbs of grain (or an equivalent amount of extract). Use .25-.5 lb of some sort of crystal malt for a little residual sweetness, color, and complexity... any will do, even Special B. Find a high Alpha Acid hop and use enough to boil for 60 min to achieve a majority of your bitterness. Add later hop additions as you seem fit to up your IBUs and add that stereotypical hop flavors and aromas you're looking for. For these additions, again, use hops you like! Experiment, lather, rinse, and repeat.
CHEERS
